Investors can purchase both existing forestry plantations and lands suitable for afforestation. Forestry Services ltd. source both types for investors who can then avail of the afforestation grant and premium scheme and forest road grant administered by the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture. The investor remains 100% owner of both the land and the crop with management provided by Forestry Services ltd.
The two most important financial incentives for forestry in Ireland are the Afforestation grant scheme and the forestry premium scheme. These schemes were introduced under EU council regulation 2080/92 and support the afforestation of agricultural land. The Tax-Free status attached to forestry in Ireland is also a significant incentive towards investment.
Ireland can be proud of the modern sawmilling and panel board industry now established which competes with the best in the world. This existing market is being underpinned by an increasing demand for biomass from the renewable energy sector. This sector is being driven by Government policy with the following targets:
The most recent COFORD timber forecast for the Island of Ireland produced the following conclusions: